The West Virginia Geographic Alliance Announces ItsAnnual Geography Awareness Week Contest
November 13-19, 2011 has been designated as National Geography Awareness Week. Each year, the WV Geographic Alliance hosts a statewide contest for K-12 students during Geography Awareness Week. This year’s contest theme is:

“Geography: The Adventure in Your Community”This year’s Geography Awareness Week theme promotes the idea that the geographic perspective is an important way to understand every community—no matter what size, or how long or briefly one has been a part of it. This topic is so broad and has so many possibilities; be creative! Check out http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/collections/geographyawarenessweek/ for ideas.Entries may take the following forms:1) Poster (specific rules below) 2) Essay (specific rules below) 3) Multimedia- Glog, PowerPoint, or video (specific rules below)

There will be 3 categories of entrants: Primary (K-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12)The following prizes will be awarded for each category: 1st- $200 savings bond, 2nd-$100 savings bond, 3rd- $50 savings bond

POSTER RULES and INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Colored pens, pencils, crayons, paints, or a combination thereof, may be used. Collages and computer-assisted designs are acceptable, but must reflect an original design/concept of the student. Photo credits are required, especially for images taken from copyrighted sources.
2. Posters must be NO LARGER THAN 22” x 28”. Posters can be constructed on any type of material the student chooses (poster board, foam board, wood, cardboard, etc…) as long as it is not larger than 22”x28” and can be delivered to Concord University’s Geography department. 3D posters are also acceptable.
3. The following heading MUST be included somewhere on the front of the poster:

"Geography: The Adventure in Your Community"Geography Awareness WeekNovember 13-19, 2011The spelling and date must be correct on the front of the poster to be eligible for the contest.
4 The following information must be typed or printed on the back of the poster.

ESSAY RULES AND INSTRCTIONS:
1. Write a 500-1000 word essay discussing the topic “Geography: The Adventure in Your Community”
2. The essay should be typed in Times New Roman, 12 point font with 1 inch margins or neatly handwritten on notebook paper.
3. Any borrowed information should be properly cited.
4. DO NOT PUT ANY IDENTIFING INFORMATION ON THE FRONT OF THE ENTRY. This information should be typed or printed on the back of the entry in the following manner.

MULTIMEDIA INSTRUCTIONS & RULES:
1. Multimedia entries may take the form of a glog, PowerPoint, or video ONLY.
2. PowerPoints and videos must be submitted on a CD, DVD, or jump drive (will not be returned). No email entries will be accepted.
3. Glogs must be completed on glogster.com. The URL of the glog must be MAILED to the Alliance. No email entries will be accepted.
4. Any borrowed information should be properly cited.
5. The following heading MUST be included somewhere in the entry:6. DO NOT PUT ANY PERSONAL IDENTIFING INFORMATION ON/IN THE ENTRY! Enclose the entry information on a sheet of paper enclosed with the entry in the following form:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Entries will not be returned, but may be promptly picked up after announcement of the winners from the geography department at Concord University.

Please either drop off the entries to the geography department at Concord University or mail to:Dr. Joe Manzo/Danielle MetzPO Box 1000Campus Box 42Athens, WV 24712